


This Wasn't Suppose to Happen

by flowerhippie1234



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Torture, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-05-26 09:44:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6233764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerhippie1234/pseuds/flowerhippie1234
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a sadistic man kidnaps Dan and Phil, they're forced to go through the trauma together, and hope they make it put alive. Will they be able to handle everything thrown at them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Dan and Phil are kidnapped by a sadistic man, they're forced to go through the trauma together, and hope they make it out alive. Will they be able to handle everything thrown at them?

How did this happen? This was the one question Dan kept asking, as they lied in a small, windowless room, everything concrete and the cold like a meat locker. He looked over to his friend, his best friend, who had finally managed to get some sleep, thank God. He watched the pale form shiver slightly, being since his socks and shoes were missing, and it was probably -12 degrees in here. Dan let his head fall back to where he sat, his own form cold from being in the same predicament as Phil. Things weren’t suppose to go like this, no, not at all. Things like this only happened in the movies, or in fictional stories.

Yet, here they were.

********************************************  
_24 Hours Ago_

“Dan, come on! We can’t be late for the radio show!” Phil called to Dan, who was hurriedly putting his shoes on in his room. They were, per usual, running late, and both were in a frenzied rush. Dan successfully put his shoes on and clamored downstairs, cursing as he narrowly avoided tripping on the last step. “I’m here, let’s leave.” Dan said, and the two left their apartment. They made it to the Radio station with literal seconds to spare, and they barely had time to set everything up before they were live. Thankfully, the show went off without a hitch.  
It was twenty minutes in and they had just started playing a new music video when Phil’s phone went off.  
“What’s that?” Asked Dan. Phil looked at his phone.  
“Oh, it’s just a news update.” He said, reading the article that had notified him.  
“About what?” Dan asked, going over next to him to read about it himself.  
“Apparently this crazy guy has escaped prison or something, no one’s seen him in twelve hours.”  
“Wow, that’s rather dramatic.” Dan said, and Phil chuckled.  
“Yeah, but he’s supposedly nowhere near London, so we should be fine.” Phil reassured, and Dan walked back to his spot, putting back on his headphones as the music video ended.

The escaped convict wasn’t mentioned for the rest of the night.

When the show ended, they made it back home, the sun already set and the darkness seeming especially ominous tonight. Stepping through the door, Phil declared he was going to bed.  
“Already? It’s not even ten.” Dan scoffed.  
“Yeah, but I’m tired.” Phil argued, and Dan shrugged.  
“Whatever man, goodnight.”  
“Night!” Phil called, and he trudged up the stairs. Dan sighed and collapsed on the sofa, deciding his evening plans. He groaned loudly when he realized his computer was upstairs in his room, and begrudgingly got back up to get it. Halfway up the stairs he heard a loud thump and paused.  
“Phil? Was that you?” He called out. No response. He continued up the stairs, his pace slightly quickened, thoughts of Phil tripping over something and bashing his head open flashing through his mind. He made it to Phil’s half-open door, and tried calling again.  
“Phil? You alright?” He asked again, and still did not get a response. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, just in case, and went into his room. At first glance, all appeared normal. Bed made, a dresser door slightly opened and a pair of pajamas lying on the bed. What wasn’t normal, however, was the body lying on the ground, who just seemed to be regaining consciousness,

“Phil! Oh my god!” Dan yelled, and he rushed over to Phil, setting his phone next to him to help Phil up, who was now more awake and groaning in pain.  
“Phil, what happened? Do I need to call an ambulance? Are you alright?” Dan was asking Phil, and Phil himself was now refocusing his eyes, and they got big as he warned Dan.  
“Dan, behind you!” But the warning was too late, and Dan felt himself being picked up by the back of his shirt and thrown at the wall, and his head and everything else was in pain from the impact. Through his blurred vision, he could see a form taller than him go back over to Phil, who had seemed to try and reach Dan’s abandoned phone. The stranger stepped on Phil’s outstretched arm, and Phil shouted as his arm seemingly burned with agony, and all thoughts of reaching the cell phone was forgotten as he tried to get his arm from the stranger’s boot. Dan forgot about his own pain as he began seeing red, and in a blind rage he took a running charge to the man and launched himself onto his back, locking his arm around the man’s neck. The man shouted out in surprise and stumbled backwards, releasing Phil’s arm from his foot, but unfortunately stepping on the phone, shattering it completely. Phil watched in horror as the man seemed to get what had happened, and rammed Dan, who was still on his back, into the wall repeatedly. Dan fell from the man’s back and onto the ground, wheezing and grimacing in pain. The man was stepping on Dan now, his foot pressed harshly onto Dan’s stomach, making him choke and gasp for air. Phil shakingly stood up, and rammed into the man, shoving him back into the wall. In a blind panic he reached down to help Dan, but the second he looked back up there was a foot coming towards his face, then everything was black.  
Dan watched terrified as Phil was knocked backwards, his friend’s head bouncing painfully into the wall and slumping to the ground, and Dan made a mad grab for the man’s feet, in an attempt to do something productive. But to no avail, and soon he was on his front, the man’s filthy boot on his head and his hands pinned behind his back.  
“What do you want from us?” Dan asked from under the boot. He could hear the man mess with something, and he felt something cold and metal around his wrists. Handcuffs.  
“Shut up.” The man said. His voice was deep and rough, and had little trouble sounding intimidating. The boot was finally off his face, and Dan went to take a sigh of relief, but then something was in his mouth, and his head was pulled back as the man tied a gag around his mouth. He left Dan and went over to Phil, making him go through the same procedure. Dan picked his head up to watch the guy man-handle Phil, who’s head and body were limp through the entire process. After he was done, he hoisted Phil over his shoulder and looked back down at Dan. He walked back behind Dan, still carrying Phil, and picked Dan up with the handcuffs, making Dan yell a muffled shout as his arms were painfully pulled backwards, and he was forced to shift his body at an awkward angle so he wouldn’t dislocate his arms. He was finally standing with shaking feet, and the man gave him a rough push followed by a direct order.

“Go downstairs.”  
Dan began walking, noting how the guy easily carried Phil down the steps, and how he kept a close eye on both him and Phil. They continued walking until they were finally at the front door of the entire building. He shoved Dan outside, and grabbed hold of the handcuffs, before he dragged Dan down the street, to a large, beaten up van, parked in the shadows.  
_“How cliche.” _Dan couldn’t help think as the man dropped Phil on the ground to open the door, still keeping a firm grip on Dan. Once he opened the trunk, he tossed Dan inside, who landed with a small “Mmph!”, and next came Phil, who landed limply onto the ground. Before he left, the man pulled out two cloth bags, and jammed them on Dan and Phil’s heads. Dan heard the trunk slam, a car door open, and the engine starting, and soon they were driving.__

Driving to what was most likely their impending doom.


	2. Chapter 2

Dan felt like they had been driving for days.

In retrospect, it had been about an hour, but the situation and loneliness made it seem as if he hadn’t seen any light in weeks. The bag over his head wasn’t helping either. He sat in the rather small trunk, trying to hear anything that could help him in some way. The car was silent though, save for the small hum of the engine and the occasional gravel bits hitting the tires. The man didn’t even have the radio on, how boring. Dan could feel Phil leaning on him, and he was sure that he was still unconscious. He could Phil’s heartbeat, and wished that his was as calm as Phil’s. He was actually kind of glad that Phil had landed in his lap, otherwise he would have gone mad from not knowing if he was okay, because that was all that mattered at the moment. He just wished that he would wake up.  
It was as if Phil had heard Dan’s thought, because a minute later Dan felt a shift in his lap, and heard a quiet muffled groan.  
“Phil!” He tried to say, but the gag prevented any understanding, and it just sounded weird. Phil however, heard it, and knew that it was Dan’s voice. He struggled to sit up, and doing so led to the bag falling off his head. Phil looked around, a bit confused to where they were and what was happening. He was in the back of a car, the windows were tinted, and he assumed that was Dan sitting against the wall, his head moving around in the bag.  
“Dan, you alright?” Phil attempted to say, but it came out muffled, and Phil realized he was gagged, with his hands handcuffed behind him. That’s when he remembered everything. The man hiding in his closet, the fight, the foot to the face. And now he and Dan were here, in the boot of a car, most likely towards their deaths. He worked on taking deep breaths, the gag not helping, trying not to panic. It would do him no good, and he needed to be there for Dan. They only had each other now, and Phil refused to freak out and be completely useless. So he shifted over to Dan, and somehow got the bag of his head, and proceeded to sit himself next to him. Dan blinked a couple of times, getting use to the bit of light he now had. He looked over to Phil, who now had his own eyes closed, but Dan knew there was no chance that he was sleeping. They would be lucky if they ever got sleep again. Dan shrugged his shoulder lightly, nudging Phil to look at him, and when he did, he smiled, and it was obvious through the gag and Phil appreciated it. Phil smiled back, before going back to leaning on Dan’s shoulder. Dan closed his eyes and tilted his head back, resting it on the wall of the car.  
This was a long car ride.

Dan jolted awake when the humming engine disappeared. He hadn’t even known that he’d fallen asleep, let alone how he was even able to. The sound of a door opening and slamming shut woke Phil up, and they both looked on in trepidation to the trunk door, Phil nudging closer to Dan. The trunk was opened, and they looked at the man who had brought them here, who somehow looked even more menacing in the dark. Looking at him a bit more properly, Dan had realized that his suspicions were correct. This man was taller, much taller than him and Phil. He probably was a whole foot taller. Facial features were unclear in the dark, but from what Dan could see this man had a grim face and most likely grim intentions. He scowled at them, and Dan realized they probably should’ve kept the bags on their heads. The man reached into the trunk, and instinctively the two backed away, until both were pressed into the wall. The man grabbed Phil’s arm and dragged him out, and Dan leaned forward after him, making himself fall onto the ground with a thud. The man picked Dan up roughly, and he shoved the two forwards, towards a crumbly building. It was deathly silent, and it was making Dan even more paranoid than before. He stumbled. When they got inside, there was no light whatsoever, making it even more terrifying on the inside.

“Go towards the right.” The man said, and the silence being broken made the two boys jump, but they did as instructed. It lead to a dead end, with one door at the end of the abandoned hall. The man pushed them towards it, as upon the sight of it the two had frozen in fear. The door was opened, and the two were shoved inside the room. It wasn’t very big, about the size of a small walk-in closet, and it was freezing, there being no windows not helping. They were pushed against the wall, and both of their shoes and socks were taken from them. They fell to the floor, and the man looked down at both of them, before removing Dan’s gag. Dan coughed, and looked up at the man. “Why did you take us? What do you want?” He asked. The man stared at him blankly.  
“You were on the radio.” He finally said, and now it was Dan’s turn to stare blankly. What was this, a ransom of some sorts?  
“Is that why you kidnapped us?”  
“No.”  
“Then why did you?”  
“Because I wanted to.”  
Dan was baffled. That’s it? No motive, no actual reason, no revenge plot? Nothing? Dan almost wanted this guy to be some sicko with a whole diabolical plot as to why he had kidnapped them. But this, this was just confusing as fuck.  
“Let us go.” Dan said, and he’s not even sure why he said it, or where this sudden burst of confidence came from, but it’s too late now, and he’s instantly regretting it. The look in the guy’s face went from calm to furious in about .02 seconds, and now he’s got Dan by his shirt collar, and he growls out, “Don’t talk to me like that!” And then Dan’s thrown against the wall again, a hand to his throat, repeatedly being punched in the stomach, and Dan suddenly can’t breathe, and it’s going to end up really bad-

“Oof!” The man says, and he stumbles to the side, because Phil had rammed the man again, only this time the man has the upper hand, as neither can defend themselves. Dan really wishes Phil hadn’t done that. He’s on the floor, regaining his breath, and the man has Phil pushed up high on the wall, his toes almost dangling on the ground, and Dan can hear Phil gasping for air as the hand around his throat grips it tightly.

“Stop, please!” Dan cries out, and he’s stumbling to his feet, trying to save Phil. He pushes between the two of them, and that cause the man to drop Phil, who lands with a soft groan. Dan’s still panting, and he’s looking up at the man, who’s reverted back to his stone cold expression. He looked Dan squarely in the eye, and Dan felt extremely tense.  
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” He says, reaching down and grabbing Phil’s gag and ripping it off, before leaving the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Dan looks at the door, before directing his attention to Phil.

“Are you alright?” Dan asked, knowing of course that neither of them were alright, but physical healthwise needed to be checked.  
“Yeah, I’m-I’m okay. Thank you.” Phil said, voice slightly raspy. Dan gave a grim smile.  
“Well, it’s the least I could do, you saved me. I figured I should repay the favor.” And phil gave a small smile at that, before lying down on the ground.  
“I just need to...rest. Yeah, time to think about an escape plan.” Phil said, closing his eyes. Dan shifted next to him, to lean against the wall and sit beside him.  
“Yeah, I’m sure we’ll be rescued.” Dan said, trying to install at least some hope. So the two sat in silence, in hopes that in some way they would be rescued, or if not, somehow make an escape.


	3. Chapter 3

Dan still had no sense of time.  
Since he didn't have a phone or watch, and there were no windows anywhere in their tiny space, he had to assume that they had been there for awhile. Phil had woken up awhile after his nap, and had told Dan to get some rest. Do Dan had lied down and had tried to go to sleep. Sleep wouldn't come though. He spent maybe two hours staring at the blank wall, listening to his breathing, Phil’s breathing, and the occasional song Phil would hum. All of it should have been relaxing, but it wasn't.  
This whole situation was tense as fuck.  
Had someone maybe realized they were gone yet? Did any of the neighbors report anything? Will anyone even notice their absence until it was too late? Dan had plenty of time to worry about these things.  
His greatest fear so far is that no one would even realize they were missing until either one or both of them showed up dead. Dan didn't want to die, no human is really ready for death, and God, is now the time to go into another fucking existential crisis?  
“Dan, hey, calm down.” Phil suddenly spoke up, and Dan turned to look at him, and it was at this point that he took notice that he was hyperventilating.  
“I can't, Phil. I can't!” Dan was panicking now.  
“What if no one ever finds us? We barely talk to people as it is, it's not uncommon for us to just randomly stop interacting with the human race, and what if he only way we’re rescued is because our fucking corpses have appeared on the side of the road?! I don't want to die, Phil!” Dan was trying to move around, move his hands, but the handcuffs made him feel even more anxious than he already was, and his breathing sped up.  
“Dan, Dan!” Phil had walked in front of Dan’s pacing, and Phil saw the terror in Dan’s eyes, felt his quick breathing being blown onto his face, and the only thing he could think of to do was give him a hug.  
So he did.  
Phil leaned on Dan, head on the other’s shoulder, and they stood like that for a moment, until Dan’s rapid breath slowed, and he put his own head on top of Phil’s, as if to reciprocate the hug. Phil felt his heart give a small flutter, and he smiled softly to himself, pleased to have calmed his friend down.  
“We’re going to be alright, ok Dan? You have to believe that.” Phil spoke softly into Dan’s shoulder, and he could feel Dan’s shoulder heave as he let out a loud sigh.  
“I know, I'm sorry. I'm just, scared-”  
“And that's perfectly understandable. I'm scared too. Terrified, in fact. But we just need to be patient and know that someone will come for us.” Phil stated, and he picked his head off of Dan's shoulder to look him in the eye again. Dan looked back at him.  
“Thank you, Phil.” He said finally, voice quiet as he looked at Phil. Phil smiled.  
“Let's sit, and you can get some rest. I know you weren't sleeping over there, don't even try to deny it.” Dan laughed as Phil led them to his corner, and they sat next to each other.  
“Hey, how I fall asleep is mindlessly browsing through tumblr until I collapse in exhaustion. It's not my fault I'm still high on adrenaline.” Dan retorted, and the two sat and laughed, almost forgetting their predicament.  
“I bet you are, considering how you kicked the guy’s arse earlier. I can't believe you actually pounced on his back!” Phil said, making sure Dan heard the pride in his voice. Dan scoffed, “That's pretty hard to beat, but you did, considering you rammed him twice!” Dan said back, and they were laughing again.  
“And we call ourselves unfit. That was some pretty fit action if you ask me.” Phil said, using his ‘manly’ voice and making Dan laugh again.  
“Yeah, we kick some serious ass!” Dan said dramatically, and they were laughing again, and neither knew why everything was so hilarious, it just was, and they could not stop laughing.  
But then they heard it. Heavy footsteps, heading their way.  
The laughter was cut immediately, and the two glued their eyes to the door, pushing themselves against the wall behind them as much as they could. Dan fumbled with his hands, still handcuffed, and finally grabbed onto Phil’s, squeezing it tightly. Phil returned the gesture. The door swung open, hitting the wall with a loud bang, and a silhouette stood in the doorway.  
The man was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short filler, guys. The real action is next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a showdown on who would move first. The man took a step into the room, but hadn't moved since, and the only thing Dan could hear was his and Phil’s ragged breathing. It may have been five minutes before the man spoke up, his voice sounding hollow.  
“Who wants to go first?” He asked, and fuck, Dan wasn't prepared for any sacrificial shit. He didn't want to go, and he sure as hell didn't want Phil to go, and what the fuck was he suppose to do? The words were on his mouth to volunteer when someone beat him to it.  
“I'll do it.” Phil said bravely, and Dan was getting ready to pass out.  
“Phil, you can't!” Dan shouted, watching as the man stepped forward to seize Phil. He put Phil in another pair of handcuffs, then looped it around one of the pipes that snaked around the entire room. At this angle, Dan and Phil were now facing each other, on their own sides of the room. The man brought a wooden chair from the hallway, and Dan was suddenly confused. Why handcuff Phil to a pipe on the floor when you were planning to put him in a chair? He looked over to Phil, who also had a look of confusion on his face. The man turned the chair to face Phil, before walking over to stand in front of Dan.

“The weak ones go first.” The man grumbled, and grabbed Dan's hair, dragging him painfully towards the chair, and all but slamming him down onto it. Phil’s face was suddenly one of terror as he realized what was going on.

“No, no you can't! I said I'd go first! I want to go first!” Phil was shouting now, and everything was ringing in Dan's ears as the man tied his arms to the back of the chair, leaving his front exposed. This wasn't happening. He supposed it was better him than Phil, but still.  
The man reached into the hallway again and pulled in a duffle bag, things clanking inside as it moved across the concrete floor. Dan may have been hyperventilating by this point, or it may have been Phil’s quick breathing that he heard.  
Or it could've been both. Probably.  
Dan looked at the man again as he reached into the bag, and he swore he saw the man give a small smile, before it went away and he pulled out a piece of cloth, stuffing it in Dan's mouth. Dan started kicking, not wanting to be subjected to this at all.

_But it's either me or Phil. Me or Phil. ___

___There was no way in hell that he was letting Phil be tortured._  
He was pulled out of his thoughts by water being poured all over him, coming from a large bottle the man had, and the man made sure to get it everywhere. By the time it was empty, his entire shirt and head were drenched. Dan had a bad feeling about this.  
He closed his eyes and leaned back, breath heavy in anticipation.  
“No, don't! Please!” He heard Phil shout out, and before he could open his eyes and look to see, there was a punch to his gut, followed quickly by an extreme burning.  
Dan yelled through the gag, his screams gargles and warped around the gag, and he could vaguely hear Phil shouting too, around his own screams, but the pain was too intense for him to be even sure that his heart was still beating. Was it? He almost hoped it wasn't.  
The source of burning was gone, and Dan keeled over as much as he could bound, and panted heavily. His eyes wandered over to the man’s hands, where a taser was being held, and now that made sense of the burning sensation. He lifted his head up a bit to look at Phil, who had tears in his eyes and was leaning as far as he could to get near to Dan, and it touched Dan that he cared so much. Then the pain was back, and he was screaming, and oh god this was excruciating. This happened two more times, and Dan wasn't sure if this would kill him, he thought it would have, but he guess he was lucky or something. The man finally dropped the taser back on top of the bag, and cut Dan loose from the chair. He fell forward, not able to break his fall, and face planted onto the ground, a foot in front of Phil. Phil was straining his arms as far as they could go, trying to reach Dan, who laid unmoving in front of him. 

__“Dan, Dan please-!” The man kicked Phil away from Dan, and Phil landed painfully on his backside, head bouncing off the wall. Head dizzy and eyes blurry, Phil watched the man pick up Dan again by his hair, and Phil could tell that Dan was thankfully still alive. The man ripped the gag from Dan’s mouth, and Dan coughed. The man then roughly pushed Dan onto his back, and Phil could hear Dan groan in pain at his landing. It made him wince himself. The man looked down at Dan, who was breathing deeply, before he swung out and kicked Dan in the side full force, surprising Dan and making him shout out. It made Phil shout out too, because now the screams weren’t muffled, and they were far more raw and terrifying at full volume then around a gag. The man repeatedly punched and kicked Dan, and Phil was yelling for him to stop, but he wouldn’t listen._ _

__“You’re going to kill him, please! Stop!” Phil was begging, pleading, straining his arms as much as he could, to try to get to Dan, to get the man to stop, but he just kept going. Dan was getting quieter and quieter now, no longer curling his body in a ball to protect himself. With a final kick, the man finally stopped and looked down at Dan, who was lying on his stomach, not moving, and Phil was terrified that the man had in fact killed him. But, after a nudge to the side by the man, Dan took a shuddering breath, and Phil sighed, relieved by that. The man put the chair and bag back in the hallway, before walking over to Phil. Phil feared for the worst, but was surprised when the man released him from the handcuffs and simply left. Phil watched him leave, absentmindedly rubbing his raw wrists, before the man shut the door and Phil finally raced to Dan’s side. He gingerly flipped Dan onto his back, and Phil took in the damage. Dan’s nose was bleeding, from the faceplant of falling from the chair, but it didn’t look broken. He also had a black eye, most likely from the beating session. Phil moved Dan’s head to position it in his lap, and he watched as Dan’s eyes fluttered open, and he groaned again._ _

__“Dan, oh thank god. Try not to say anything, you’re safe now. I’m going to check the rest of your injuries, okay?” Phil said, rather quickly, and Dan simply nodded, before closing his eyes again. Phil rolled up both of Dan’s sleeves, taking note of all the bruises forming. He then rolled up his shirt, and he inhaled sharply. There were several burn marks from the taser, and large black and purple bruises were already forming across half his body. He looked really bad._ _

__Phil felt his eyes water, not for the first time today, but refused to let the tears fall. Instead, he used his sleeve to wipe the blood off Dan’s face, and Dan opened his eyes again to look at Phil._ _

__“I’m glad it was me.” Dan slurred out. He must have bitten his tongue through all of that, because the words sounded a bit warbled, and he seemed to have trouble talking. Phil looked down at him in shock at those words. He pursed his lips and leaned back against the wall, running his fingers through Dan’s hair. Dan gave a content sigh, and closed his eyes again. It was around ten minutes later when Phil felt his friend fall asleep. Dan’s words kept running through his mind, and he only had one response to say to that._ _

"It should have been me." Phil mumbled to himself and the darkness of the room.

_It should have been me. ___


	5. Chapter 5

Phil got little sleep between the last visit and the next one, making sure Dan was always comfortable and still breathing. He was awake when the man came in again, and he tried to move forward in front of Dan. The man simply sneered and pulled Dan away, locking him to a pipe like he had done with Phil. Phil resisted little when the man stood him up and tied a rope to his once free hands back around his back, before roughly shoving him back down, making Phil groan when he landed painfully on his back. The man left the room for a moment, and Phil could hear from his position Dan struggling, and Phil wanted to say something, something to calm the other down, and maybe even himself, but he didn't have a chance when the man came back in.  
Dan started struggling harder, and Phil was trying to lift his head to look, but the man stepped over and he was quickly blindfolded, before the man grabbed his hair, not bothering to lift him up all the way, and dragged him over to the middle of the room.

“Don't. Don’t!” Dan pleaded, and Phil wished he could see, and that the man’s fingers weren't digging into his scalp as he continued the tight grasp of his hair, and that they weren't really in this scenario, and he was just having a terrible, terrible nightmare-  
His thoughts were cut off when the man shoved his head forward, and he got no warning whatsoever when his head was submerged in water. He started shouting, the sound of bubbles and perhaps faint shouting from Dan all that he could hear, and he was bucking his head, trying to get back to air. But the man was strong, too strong, and his grip remained firm. Phil was wriggling as much as he could, trying to kick his legs out and move around, trying to get free, and he kind of understood the blindfold now. It seemed much more dark and suffocating.  
He started seeing spots after awhile, and his energy seemed to be fading, before his head was pulled out, and he was thrown down. Phil sat up and started coughing up as much water as he could, while trying to get air into his body at the same time. His hearing was warped, because his ears were full of water, but he could still hear a warbled Dan voice saying his name. The man grabbed his hair again, and put him in the same position.  
“No, please-!” Phil said, not wanting to go through that hellish nightmare again. But he had enough time to fill his lungs with oxygen before he was put back under, and that seemed to help him stay under a bit longer. But soon the air was gone, and it seemed much more painful this time, and he tried even harder to escape, but to no avail. His head was finally pulled back up, and he coughed out even more water, throat burning from not having enough air and being blocked by the liquid. The man repeated the process several times, each time Phil thinking that he was going to pass out. He never did though, and Phil was trying to decide if that was a good thing. Eventually the man stopped, and dropped a panting and sopping Phil on the floor. He laid there, listening to the man’s footsteps fade away for a moment, and the wish of sight came back. He had nearly forgotten about it. When the man stepped back in, he could hear him dragging something metal along the concrete floor, and Phil knew it wasn't good, considering how even more frantic and pleading Dan's voice had become.  
Honestly, he should have expected the first blow, but it still caught him off guard. He was hit with so much force in the stomach, that he had rolled completely over, and the man was now beating his back, ignoring his cries and Dan’s.  
The piece of metal dug into his back, his side, his legs- any space the man could think of that wouldn't potentially kill him. Phil at least appreciated that. He didn't know how long the session had been going on, but by the end of it, Phil didn't really care. The man hit him for a final time, right in the rib, and Phil was afraid that it might have been broken, but the blindfold was finally removed, and the man walked out, taking a large bucket and a crowbar with him. The door was locked, and they were at last alone.  
Unfortunately, Dan was still tied to the pole, and Phil was on the other side of the room, hands tied behind his back, and Dan seeming miles away.

“Phil! Phil, hey, can you hear me?” Dan was asking, and Phil attempted to lift his head in response, to provide some sort of acknowledgement. But all that came out was a disgruntled sigh. 

“Phil, is there any blood coming from your mouth? Any signs of eternal bleeding or something?” Dan had little idea of what he was talking about, but watched enough movies to know if blood was coming out of your mouth, it was bad. Phil wearily spit onto the concrete floor, checking to see if there was any red in it. Thankfully, somehow, there was none.

“N-no. I'm good.” Phil muttered, and he could hear Dan breathe a sigh of relief. Phil wanted to be next to Dan. Maybe to hear Dan better, maybe to help calm Dan down, or maybe just for nostalgia. Phil wasn't completely sure. But he started working his way over to Dan, wincing the entire time.

“Phil, no, don't move! You may injure yourself even more.” Dan warned, watching as Phil worked slowly over to him, leaving a slight trail of blood behind him from the cut in his head. It took about twenty minutes, but Phil had finally managed to worm himself beside Dan, wet head resting in Dan’s lap.

“Do you think anyone knows we're gone?” Phil mumbled, nearly asleep. Or unconscious. Who could tell?

“Yeah, of course.” Dan said, sounding sure but of course doubting everything.

“Don't worry, we'll be fine.” Phil said, and Dan gave a small smile.

Like he could believe that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this update may be short and not good, testing is gross and so is writers block. Comment if you have any good torture ideas: )


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long update, but school is almost over so hopefully updates will be quicker! Sorry if it's a bit shorter than usual.

Dan sat almost numbly, leaning uncomfortably back on his tied hands, and trying not to jostle much as to not disturb Phil. He didn't know if the other was actually sleeping or not, but still. Keeping Phil comfortable and safe seemed like a top priority to him. It seemed like it had been several hours since the man had last came in, and Dan was just nervously anticipating his next arrival. His mind wandered briefly over to his stomach, and Dan was suddenly painfully aware of his hunger. How long has it been since they had last eaten? Two, three days? He knew that probably wasn't good. He even wondered if the man would feed them. He's kept them alive this long, surely he would, right?

There was a sound of a door slamming in the distance, and Dan could feel Phil’s head jerk up, and they both tensed as the sound of footsteps got louder and louder. The door opened painstakingly slow, and the man stood in the doorway once more. Phil’s breathing had quickened, and Dan had to slow his own down in order to not hyperventilate. He was anticipating the man to grab him, knowing it was his turn, but he nearly choked in surprise when the man grabbed Phil’s hair and yanked up, pulling Phil with him. Dan started struggling as the man pulled Phil away. “What are you doing? Stop! It's my turn! _It's my turn!_ ” Dan was desperately shouting, and he watched helplessly as a feebly struggling Phil was dragged away, the door slamming shut behind them. Dan’s breath was quickening by the second, and he was trying to listen to where the man had dragged Phil, but it wasn't long before he heard something. A gut-wrenching scream suddenly came from the other side of Dan’s wall, and Dan's heart dropped when he realized that was Phil. He started twisting and moving, shouting swears and threats to the man, not that he could be heard over the sound of Phil’s screams.

Dan's eyes were beginning to water after ten minutes of Phil’s screams and cries, and he could only sit and wait that the man would hopefully bring Phil back. Phil’s screams died to whimpers and small cries after a while, and Dan felt like he was going to bang his head against the wall. Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, Dan heard heavy footsteps and the sound of something being dragged across the floor, and the man shoved the door open, dragging a limp Phil with him. He tossed him on the other side of the room, and Dan was trying to reach him, stretching as far as his arms could go. The man walked over to Dan, and he could feel his body tense, but the man simply put a pair of cuffs on his ankles and uncuffed his hands, making him fall right on his face. With shaking arms, he crawled over to Phil, putting the other’s head onto his lap, and checked Phil over. He heard the man drop some things and leave, but he was more focused on Phil.

There was a burn mark on his face, and Dan couldn’t tell how bad it was, but it looked fairly okay. His arms were covered in scorch marks and bruises, and when lifting his shirt up, his stomach looked the same. Dan swore silently again. Dan patted Phil's face lightly, making the other blink furiously and groan. “Phil! Phil. Oh, thank god.” Dan said quietly, and Phil's eyes moved blearily towards Dan's voice. “D-Dan?” Phil asked, unsure. Dan gave a watery smile. “Yeah. I'm here.”

“Everything hurts.” Phil grumbled quietly, and Dan was relieved that Phil was still able to talk and listen. Hearing his quiet voice was far better than hearing his screams. Dan now turned to what the man dropped in here, and he was shocked to see some medical supplies and food. He turned back to Phil.

“Don't worry Phil, we’re going to fix you right up.” Dan said confidently. He propped Phil against the wall to sit him up, and crawled over to get the supplies. Some burn cream, bandages, and a water battle with two protein bars. It wasn't much, but it would do. He crawled back to Phil, pushing the supplies with him. He opened the burn cream first.

“This might sting a bit.” Dan warned, before applying it to Phil's face. He could feel Phil tense slightly, but the other was otherwise quiet. He applied a bandage, and continued with the rest of the burns, hesitating slightly when going towards his stomach. But he did so anyways. After he was done, he handed Phil a protein bar, and grabbed his own. They had to force themselves not to eat it whole. The two ate in silence for awhile, before Phil finally spoke up.

“Thanks for patching me up.” He tried to say casually, as if they weren't in this terrible predicament. Dan nodded.

“Yeah, um, don't mention it.” Dan said, rubbing the back of his neck. He went to take a sip of water.

“You look cute when you're flustered.”

The sudden comment made Dan do a spit take, coughing out the water he just drank. He looked at Phil.

“I-I'm not flustered.” He tried to defend, willing his cheeks not to blush. Phil smiled.

“You're red cheeks say otherwise.” He said cockily.

Dammit.

“Shut up,” he finally mumbled, and hearing Phil laugh made him smile, and he joined in on the laughing. Later, when Phil was lying on Dan's shoulder asleep, Dan couldn't help but smile to himself. If they got out of this alive, he would make sure to tell Phil how he felt. He swears by it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the extremely long wait, I had to lay low for awhile with this and some of my other, similar fics. But luckily I don't have to anymore and will try to update a bit more periodically!  
> (And sorry if it's short, I know most of my chapters are but if this one is shorter than usual I'll try and be better next time.)  
> Enjoy!

It didn't take the man long to come back.  
Dan was somewhat surprised when it seemed only a few hours later, they heard him walking down the hall. He shook Phil awake, and Phil woke with a start. The two watched the door swing open. What happened though was not what they were expecting.   
The man came in, and without saying a word, grabbed Dan by his hair and dragged him out of the room, slamming the door behind them and not even giving Phil the chance to protest. Dan could still hear him though, as he was dragged down the hall. He could hear Phil banging the door, demanding that he let Dan go.

Like that would work. He still appreciated that Phil cared, though. 

It didn't take long for both of them to get to a much larger room, and Dan could feel his heart beating faster as to what would be coming. He was dropped harshly onto the floor, and the man stepped away, perhaps trying to get or set up something. Dan looked up, using his hands to prop himself off the floor-

Wait a minute.

_His hands were free. ___

__The man must have forgotten that he uncuffed him last time, and now was his chance for him and Phil to escape. Looking at the man again, who still has his back turned, Dan slowly got to his feet and started edging towards the door._ _

__He was nearly there, nearly to freedom, when the man suddenly turned towards him._ _

__It was deadly silent, the two in an intense staring contest, before Dan _bolted for it. _____

____He ran as fast as he could, but his ankles were still shackled, and it wasn't long before he was tackled in the hallway leading towards his and Phil’s cell. He hit the ground with a loud thump, and the man grabbed on tightly and began dragging him back._ _ _ _

____“Get off me! Get off!” Dan shouted, throwing punches wildly. He managed to connect to the man once or twice, but it wasn't enough, because soon they had scuffled back into the bigger room, the man throwing Dan against a wall. Dan’s whole body shook when he hit the wall, but he still tried to fight his way out, swinging wild punches and trying to kick unsuccessfully. The man grabbed Dan's neck and forced him to stay against the wall, and suddenly Dan's new concern was to get this asshole’s hand off his neck so he doesn't _fucking die. _____ _ _

______He's sputtering, choking, trying to get a bit of air, and the man's grabbing his right hand, putting handcuffs on as tightly as he can. He lets go of Dan's throat, which makes Dan gasp as he can finally breathe again, and this makes him slide down, which makes it easier for the man to cuff his other hand above his head, and place it on a hook that's on the wall. The hook is so high up, that it makes Dan stand on his toes._ _ _ _ _ _

______He's still gasping and panting, but his eyes are slightly downcast as the man stares intensely at him, trying to avoid anymore eye contact with this sadistic bastard. It was silent, so silent, all you could here was Dan's heavy breathing._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why did you do that?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Dan's head shoots up to look at the man, who's standing there, a blank expression on his face. Dan gives him a look that asks if he's actually serious._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Because I want to leave.” Dan said, gawking at the man. Why was he asking questions? Why is he suddenly so concerned now? This was the same man, isn't it? Dan checked him over. Same tall, masculine form, same clothes that he's been wearing for god knows how long, same dark eyes that never hold an emotion other than anger._ _ _ _ _ _

______The man was silent again, apparently thinking something over, before nodding once, and turning back around to punch Dan right in the face._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dan's head snapped to the side, feeling blood drip down on his face. What the hell was wrong with this guy? Dan didn't have time to dwell on it, however, before the man hit again, and again, and again._ _ _ _ _ _

______It seemed to last for hours, and Dan was feeling faint by the end of it, but eventually the man stopped, and Dan was grateful. Now he could be dragged back to his cell, with Phil, and at least be safe with him for a little while before the process started again._ _ _ _ _ _

______The man walked off somewhere, and Dan was left with shallow breaths and a head that seemed heavier than usual as it rested against his chest. He could hear the man's footsteps come back to him, and he anticipated being dropped to the floor and dragged back to Phil._ _ _ _ _ _

______That didn't happen though._ _ _ _ _ _

______The man roughly grabbed Dan's face and forced him to look up, stretching his body more to the point where he could barely touch the floor. Dan's breathing had quickened, not understanding what was happening. He heard the man mutter something, something akin to “hold still.” And Dan didn't have to wait long before he got his answer._ _ _ _ _ _

______A sharp, _excruciating _pain began at his left shoulder, and Dan couldn't help but to finally scream, after being almost completely silent during this session, as something left a semi-shallow but nevertheless scar as it began at his shoulder, before making its way slowly, slowly, diagonally down across his chest and abdomen, before finally stopping at the right side of is hip. Dan took shuddering breaths, still forced to look at the ceiling, and then the man started again, this time at his right shoulder, and the process repeated with Dan's screaming and the excruciating pain, before the man finally stopped at his left hip. Dan could feel tears on his face, and his tshirt had been completely ruined and had fallen off, so now here he was, half naked and a literal bloody mess. The blood on his chest was unsettling to look at, it bleeding in large quantities, and Dan thought that the sight may make him sick. Dan could feel the man's eyes watch him, before he heard footsteps, then a slamming door shut.___ _ _ _ _ _

________He was stuck, dangling and bleeding, half naked in a below freezing room, and with tears running down his face. He closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath, trying to calm himself down for the sake of his sanity and mental health, but lost it when he heard Phil screaming now, no doubt probably getting the same treatment as he has just been given, and Dan began crying. Sobbing, at the hopelessness of the situation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They were never getting out of here._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	8. Chapter 8

"Dan.”

Dan stirred a bit in his sleep. He had finally passed out from exhaustion, and had just accepted the fact that he was going to have to sleep hanging from the ceiling.

“Dan.”

The voice seemed more urgent this time, and he recognized it from somewhere. He wondered if it was an angel taking him to heaven. No, of course not. Why would he go there?

_“Dan.” _The voiced pleaded, and Dan's eyes snapped open, meeting Phil’s own colorful eyes. Wait, Phil?__

__“Phil, what-?” Dan started, but Phil shook his head and suddenly is lifting Dan up slightly so he's no longer dangling and he's falling to the floor, and Phil is there making sure he doesn't fall completely and holy fuck what is actually happening?_ _

__“I got him, knocked him out, there was a bat and he had left it so I took my chances and I'm not even sure what's happening but I called the police they tracked the phone they're on their way.” Phil was saying all in one breath, and Dan was still finding it hard to understand._ _

__“Wait, what?”_ _

__“We're nearly free, we can almost go home.” Phil said happily, helping Dan to his feet as they began a limp walk out of the cell and towards the main entrance. Dan was still in a trance, still wasn't completely sure what was happening, but he knew it was good, knew it was finally going to be okay-_ _

__“Stop.”_ _

__The cold voice rang out like a bullet in dead silence, and both Dan and Phil froze right in their spot, Dan taking note how he could hear sirens getting steadily closer._ _

__Footsteps walked towards them, and Dan could Phil fidgeting slightly, like he was getting ready to fight for his life, his hands in front of him, still cuffed, wringing together, and Dan wished he could get his from his back, wish that neither of them had cuffs on, that they weren't in this mess and they could just hold hands in peace-_ _

__Both of their breaths stopped when the barrel of a shotgun rested itself to the back of Phil’s head, held by the very man holding them captive. Dan tensed as much as Phil when a knife pressed itself on the back of his neck, and he could feel it already making a mark, could feel a bit of blood dripping down his back._ _

__All three stood there, the man in a position to kill both of them in a second, Phil, standing ramrod straight, barely even blinking, and Dan, trying to hold his breath and hoping that it would make the feel of the knife leave. A voice empowered by a megaphone reached their ears, as well as several sirens._ _

__“We know that you're in there with the hostages. Come out peacefully and no one will be harmed!” The voice, presumingly a police officer, demanded. The captor gave a small grunt._ _

__“We're going out there. Listen to my directions very clearly, and no one gets hurt. Say yes if you understand.” He said. Dan and Phil seemed to gulp in anticipation, before both muttered a ‘yes’, nearly in sync, both of their voices cracking at the end._ _

__“Good.” The man said. He pressed the gun harder into Phil’s head, and that made Phil stumble ever so slightly._ _

__“Black hair, you're going to open the door for us, understand?” The captor said, voice harsher than usual. Phil blinked rapidly for a second, like he was trying not to cry._ _

__“Y-yes.” He stuttered out, voice a pitch higher. The man nodded, and moved forward, signaling that they do the same. They reached the door, and Phil pushed it open for them all, the door being big enough that they could all fit through more or less. It was enough for the captor not to lose position with the weapons still threatening them._ _

__Dan's eyes were greeted with the harsh sun, and his skin seemed torched slightly by all the light he had been excluded from. A quick glance from Phil could tell that he was feeling the same way as they were marched forward to the center of the dirt road leading to their warehouse prison. A semi circle of police cars surrounded them from a distance, and Dan could make out that all police officers had guns trained at his captor. The knife was pressed slightly harder into his neck._ _

__“Kneel.” The captor demanded, voice tight. Dan and Phil slowly sunk to their knees, Dan wincing slightly from previous tortures made his body ache at the gesture. The megaphone voice came back._ _

__“Release the hostages immediately!” It demanded, and Dan would've chuckled if the situation wasn't so dire. Did they really think that asking to release them would win this heartless bastard over?_ _

__The man gave an insane laugh, one that chilled Dan down to the bones._ _

__“I'm not giving up so easily. If I go, they go with me!” The man screamed at the police, and Dan knew that something very terrible was about to go down._ _

__“If you do not cooperate, we will use extreme force!” The megaphone threatened, and Dan wanted this guy to actually do something for fuck’s sake. The man seemingly snapped, or something, because suddenly Phil was kicked to the ground while Dan was grabbed by the neck and forced into a chokehold, the man's other arm still training his gun at Phil, who was lying still on the ground and looking up at them. The man's meaty arm was wrapped around Dan's throat, holding him extremely close to the man, and the knife was still in his hand, now the point poking the side of his head. Dan's hands were crushed behind himself between the man and his back, and the chokehold was making the oxygen go quickly, his feet scuffing up dirt as he kicked them slightly._ _

__“I'll fucking kill them! I'll do it!” The captor stated, as if the cops didn't believe him. It was silent all around, besides the man's heavy breathing and Dan's gasping for air. The man, seemingly not satisfied that he got no response, cocked the gun, aimed at Phil's leg, and fired. "Next time will be his head!" The man screamed._ _

__Dan stopped breathing altogether as he watched the scene unfold, in slow motion. He could see the man release the trigger, the bullet going the short distance in the air, how it struck Phil, and how time seemed to stop as Phil let out the most gut-wrenching scream of all time they've been here._ _

__The man had shot Phil._ _

__This motherfucking bastard just _shot __Phil. _ _ _____ ____

____Dan forgot that breathing was important. Dan forgot that he was currently in a death grip, as a hostage, surrounded by police trying to save him. He forgot that he wasn't a Kung-fu master and that this would probably get him killed. But he did it anyway._ _ _ _

____Using all his strength, Dan swung his feet in the air, hitting the man's outstretched arm and making the man drop the gun. The man, surprised by his actions, let his guard down, and Dan slipped free from his grip, reeled back, and punched the guy square in the jaw._ _ _ _

____The man fell down in shock, but not before swinging wildly with the knife and managing to lodge it in Dan's shoulder. Dan sunk to his knees again, shouting out in pain from the knife, as well as his hand, which he had somehow managed to break punching the guy. He fell down next to Phil, and somehow forgot all his pain, or at least pushed it to the side, to make sure Phil was managing._ _ _ _

____“Hey, it's going to be okay.” Dan wheezes out, out of breath as his adrenaline wore off. Phil was panting slightly, sweat and tears rolling down his face as he laid on his stomach, glancing back at his leg every so often to see the blood drip out. He looked back up at Dan._ _ _ _

____“Dan, your shoulder.” Was all he could mutter, still panting. Dan, still breathing slightly heavily, was gracious enough to not feel the immense pain quite yet. He glanced at the knife in his shoulder, finally grasping what had just happened._ _ _ _

____“Oh. Oh shit.” He murmured, looking at it. A pair of paramedics suddenly rush over, one pair loading Phil up on a gurney, and another calming Dan down so they could analyze the injury._ _ _ _

____“No, I want to be with Phil.” Dan said, noticing how they were taking Phil away._ _ _ _

____“You will, sir. But I need to make sure nothing vital was hit so you can lay on the stretcher without major blood loss." The paramedic said, examining the knife stuck in his shoulder. Dan watched warily as several policemen escorted his captor away into one of the many patrol cars, and was only brought back to his injury when he shouted in pain as the paramedic accidentally nudged the blade, causing him excruciating agony. All adrenaline was gone at that point, and he nearly fainted as they loaded him on a stretcher. He was aware enough to notice that he was in the same ambulance as Phil, and he reached his unbroken hand out to grasps Phil's, who looked over with heavy eyelids to give a small smile to Dan, before grabbing Dan's hand and giving a reassuring squeeze._ _ _ _

____They had did it._ _ _ _

____They had escaped._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this is the chapter that wraps up the story!


	9. Chapter 9

Dan tried to get comfortable in his bed, but the dull pain in his shoulder and the sling he was forced to wear made sleeping very uncomfortable. Not to mention, all the fucking nightmares.

Dan and Phil were finally back in their flat, and had been for about a week now, after spending what seemed forever in the hospital, and the police station, and various other things. Dan had been afraid that the press or something would find them and do a huge report about it, and his and Phil's fans would know everything, but thankfully the press didn't release their names, nor much about them, so they were safe, for now.

Dan sighed for the fifteenth time that night, and slowly swung his feet out of his bed to stand carefully on his feet. He didn't actually know where he was going, until he actually got there.

He swung Phil's door open slowly, looking at Phil's figure lying prone on the bed, his foot in a cast elevated by a pillow. Phil's head turned towards the door when he noticed Dan.

“You can’t sleep either?” Dan asked, semi-sheepishly. Dan could see Phil smiling in the darkness.

“No. Wanna come sit with me? We could watch tv.” Phil suggested, leaning over his bed to pull up his laptop. Dan took no time hesitating to walk over to the bed and settle in, snuggling under the covers and close to Phil. Neither mentioned it. Phil opened a browser, and they spent the next hour watching a show that neither remembered picking. But it didn't matter, because neither were paying attention anyways. Phil laughed at a stupid joke one of the characters said, and Dan couldn't help but give a small grin. Dan was internalizing every feeling that was going through his head.

The last couple of weeks had been a roller-coaster. But there was one thing that Dan could count on when they were stuck on that hellhole: Phil. Phil had been there, had helped them nearly escape, and in the ambulance, it was Phil who reached out a shaky hand to grab Dan’s. And it was Dan who squeezed them both tightly, refusing to let go.

Dan had developed new feelings for Phil. Or maybe, they were always there. Maybe tumblr and the phandom had had it right the entire time. Maybe Dan Howell loved Phil Lester.

So he did the only logical thing he could think of.

He leaned towards Phil and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

Phil’s face froze, eyes wide, and he paused the computer before turning to Dan. Dan awaited judgement, trying to make steady eye contact. He blinked in surprise when Phil gave a huge smile.

“You missed.” Phil said, before leaning in, placing both hands on either side of Dan’s face, and kissed him gently on the lips.

And Dan, well, he was glad that this is the aftermath that had been decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally over! Thanks to everyone who enjoyed it, I dedicate this all to you. If you have any ideas on what I should write next, just let me know!  
> (And I'm sorry it's so short, but I wanted the aftermath to be short and sweet, so yeah)


End file.
